Last Updated on 3 weeks by Charbel Coorey

PBKS vs GT Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible 11 Pitch Report: IPL 2022 Match 16 | PBKS vs GT Dream11 Prediction Today | Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans Key Players | Brabourne Pitch Report

It’s a power-packed batting lineup against a power-packed bowling lineup. Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans go head-to-head in what promises to be an intriguing battle between two sides who have made a mark so far this season.

It really is a battle of two strengths. The Kings have the best run rate in the powerplay (10.94), while the Titans have the best bowling average (10.71) and second-best economy rate (6.25) in this phase. Liam Livingstone produced his best IPL performance last game, while the Kings also boast of Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal who are yet to hit top form. Gujarat Titans, on the other hand, have Mohammed Shami and Lockie Ferguson at the peak of their powers, with the small measure of the great Rashid Khan alongside them.

So, whose strength will over reign supreme over the other? An interesting match awaits at the Brabourne Stadium as Gujarat will aim to remain the only undefeated team so far in IPL 2022.

Possible Playing 11

Jonny Bairstow is available. It will be interesting to see if he comes into the XI and for whom. Odean Smith will likely continue in his all-rounder role as he provides a bowling option.

Punjab Kings: 1. Shikhar Dhawan, 2. Mayank Agarwal (c), 3. Bhanuka Rajapaksa/Jonny Bairstow, 4. Liam Livingstone, 5. Shahrukh Khan, 6. Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7. Odean Smith, 8. Arshdeep Singh, 9. Kagiso Rabada, 10. Rahul Chahar, 11. Vaibhav Arora

Varun Aaron is in doubt for Gujarat due to an injury concern.

Gujarat Titans: 1. Shubman Gill, 2. Matthew Wade (wk), 3. Vijay Shankar, 4. Abhinav Manohar, 5. Hardik Pandya (c), 6. David Miller, 7. Rahul Tewatia, 8. Rashid Khan, 9. Varun Aaron/Yash Dayal/Pradeep Sangwan, 10. Lockie Ferguson, 11. Mohammed Shami

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Punjab Kings:

• Shikhar Dhawan has looked good for more runs in IPL 2022, as he has been dismissed for starts each time. He has a brilliant record against Mohammed Shami in T20s, scoring 103 runs in 66 deliveries without a single dismissal.
• Mayank Agarwal has endured a slow start to IPL 2022 (scores of 32, 1 and 4). He will have the advantage of having faced Shami on plenty of occasions in the nets over the past few years.
• Bhanuka Rajapaksa has struck 83 runs this season at a strike rate of 230.55. One of the dismissals was a run out last game, so Gujarat need to be wary of his form. Anything in his arc can see the ball fly, as he favours the legside in particular.
• Liam Livingstone is coming off a brilliant performance against CSK. The Englishman smashed 60 off 32 deliveries, and took 2/25. Also, he has a good record against wristspin (avg. 34, SR 142) and also strikes at 149 against both medium and high pace (avg. 30).
• Kagiso Rabada will be key up top, especially given he has an excellent record against Shubman Gill in the IPL: 23 balls bowled, 12 runs scored, one dismissal. Given that Gill is striking at 214.28 vs spin this season, expect Punjab to stick with pace early.
• Rabada also has solid numbers against Hardik Pandya, with two dismissals in 32 deliveries whilst conceding just 40 runs.
• Vaibhav Arora will also be key. He was excellent against CSK, with 2/21. Both his wickets came in the powerplay, so he will be tasked with having the same impact against Gujarat’s top order.
• Rahul Chahar has taken six wickets in three games, including 3/25 against CSK on this ground. He will be key against a GT side where a number of players have low strike rates against wristspin.

Gujarat Titans:

• We have been waiting for Shubman Gill to turn his talent into runs, and he did so brilliantly last game against DC (84 off 46 balls). As mentioned, he is playing magnificently against spin this season, so the key will be to get through the initial powerplay overs.
• Hardik Pandya has struck scores of 33 and 31 so far this season at a low strike rate of 116.36. He is looking likely for more, and today could be the day.
• Hardik strikes at 171 in the death overs in the IPL, compared to just 102 between overs 12 and 16. So, the key for Punjab will be to try get Pandya to the crease as early as possible.
• Gujarat could look to introduce Rashid Khan early in the innings. The leg-spinner has a magnificent record against Dhawan in T20s, having taken his wicket three times in 35 deliveries whilst conceding just 34. Also, he has dismissed Mayank Agarwal once in 23 deliveries, conceding just 23 runs in the process.
• Lockie Ferguson was at his brilliant best against DC. The Kiwi speedster took 4/28 to further enhance his reputation. In fact, he has been magnificent at the death since the start of IPL 2021, with five wickets in 60 deliveries at this stage at an economy rate of just 8.70.
• Mohammed Shami will be key against the dangerous PBKS top order. Shami has taken five wickets in two matches so far this season, with all coming in either the powerplay or death overs. Key bowler.

Other Stats and Facts

• Rashid Khan vs Liam Livingstone could be a fascinating battle. Livingstone has scored an impressive 77 runs off 46 deliveries against Rashid, but the leg-spinner has dismissed him three times.
• Matthew Wade much prefers batting first in T20s. He averages 36.27 and strikes at 148.69 when batting first compared to 17.38/115.83 batting second.
• Jitesh Sharma struck three sixes in 17 deliveries against CSK.
• Both Punjab and Gujarat have won two games each this season. However, the Titans are the only unbeaten side so far in IPL 2022.

Brabourne Stadium Pitch Report and Weather

This is the first match at Brabourne since PBKS thrashed CSK by 54 runs five days ago. So, the groundstaff have had time to prepare a good batting pitch once again for this match.

The average first innings score on this ground so far this season is 189, with the chasing team winning two of the three matches. Dew is likely, so expect the captain who wins the toss to select to chase.

Dream11 Prediction

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article as well as your own instincts to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

• Wicket-keepers: Jitesh Sharma
• Batsmen: Shubman Gill, Shikhar Dhawan
• All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Liam Livingstone
• Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson, Kagiso Rabada

Match Prediction

If Gujarat make early inroads into PBKS’s top order (i.e. two or three wickets in the powerplay), they will likely win.